Conventional weapon sights may only provide a front sight to provide aiming indicia useful in aiming a weapon at moving or flying targets with patterns of shot. Modifications have been made to these weapons over time for use on ground targets at various ranges. These modifications provide an advantage by allowing these weapons to be re-tasked to fire either single projectiles or large caliber shot, or the like. However, this advantage comes with certain disadvantages in regard to the weapon sights.
One substantial disadvantage of the re-tasking of conventional weapons may be that the sights utilized to provide aiming indicia for ground targets sights must be removed to use the weapon for moving or flying targets. Each time the ground target sights are removed and subsequently reinstalled on the weapon, the particulars of the mounting height and distance of the rear sight in relation to the front sight can be minutely changed resulting in an altered point of aim of the weapon. The altered point of aim may require re-adjustment of the rear sight in relation to the front sight and verification of the point of aim. In some cases this requirement for readjustment of the sights and verification of the point of aim prohibits re-tasking of the weapon for different purposes due to the amount of time consumed and noise generated in the process of verifying the point of aim by firing the weapon to compare the point of aim and the actual location of impact of the projectile on a target.
Another substantial disadvantage related to re-tasking conventional weapons may be that attachment of the front sight to the weapon as provided by the manufacturer prohibits re-use upon removal from the weapon. Replacement of the original front sight with another front sight may require a substantial match of the new front sight to the original front sight as to height and width or else other aspects of the weapon may also require modification to re-adjust and verify the point of aim.
Another substantial disadvantage related to re-tasking conventional weapons may be that the addition of a rear sight that works with the original front sight requires a prohibitively short height of the rear sight. Such a short height may preclude substantial elevation adjustment due to constraining geometry. In addition, a short height of the rear sight may hinder proper use of the safety on weapons so equipped due to obstruction with the sight line during disengagement of the safety.